Furniture construction



June 20, 1944. M. LKESNER 2,352,106

FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 2, 1942 WiL/m.. @wg/w` Patented-June 20, 1944 passai-oe oFFicE I'FURNITURE coNs'mUoTIoN f y .Michael L. Kener, cmeaganl.

I application November 2,1942,serialNog464g157 f colaima (c1. 155-179) v This inventiony relates -niture constructions. v

In the present lwarper'iod great 4stress has ibeen laid upon Vsimpliiication of articles yoi Amanufa'c tur-e vand metal Aconservation in 1an endeavor 'to aid -in the `warl'eiort. ""In what has been termed non-essential industries manufacturers have been unable to obtain 'metal A*and lother .critical materials vfor theirfpr'oducts. In the 'furniture field' it has almostlbeen impossible toobtain metal for springs and'fthe like,f-an'd'it 'was to overcome this difculty and'jto Yreduce" the .amount -of materials needed itobuild la'fpiece df furniture 1employing springs "that the ypresent invention was conceived. The .main no'b'jec'ts of this invention are :to `pro- -vide .a new and improved seat structure for furniturev :such as chairs, '.fs'ettees, sofas and .other like varticles lreo uii'ing springs; ,to provide :a .device of this charac-ter .whereinithe.springrstructureis made up entirely of wood; to .provide a .device of this character wherein -the spring structure is made up of a series of :sectorpanels `of 'wood and Athe long sides 'or base .of each sector is securely mounted in a diagonally extending groove in the seat frame; to rprovideia device of this character wherein eac-h sector acts as a cantilever spring; to -provide a device of this character wherein the sectors are spaced 4apart to improvements in -urand converge generally toward each other; to g provide a .device lof this ycharacter wherein one .or more thin -narrow supporti-ngfstrips are Ypositioned medially from iront; to back or lfrom side to side of the seat frame, yand located belowithe sectors and wherein the supporting strip is seatedin the same'groove or channel as the :sectors `and having I contains no parts which can get out of orderv when given normal use.

Two specic embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a top plan View of la seat frame showing my invention vincorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but merely showing the panels or sectors, apart from the seat frame. K J

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the supporting Ystrip .of my invention. l

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on lthe line 'ii- 4 of ".Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. Gis atop plan viewof a modied form of my invention wherein two supporting strips are employed,'instead of one asshown in Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the seat frame is built up of the usual Wooden front,

kback and side frame members or pieces I, 2, 3 and `1I respectively fastened together at their respective ends 1in the usual manner. Each -piecegis routed out to form grooves or channels 5, 6, 'I 'andl 8 respectively, v'which extend diagonally downwardlyk and rearwardly from the facesrof the inner side walls of eac-h of the individual frame members to forma continuous groove or channel inthe faces of the inner side walls of frame members I, 2, 3 and 4. y

jThe spring structure comprises a series of triangularly shaped preformed panels or sectors 9, IIL II and `I2 respectively. These sectors or panels are preferably made of wood having long` bers such-as hard Vw'ood and of such'thickness only that the sectors. orgpanels have the characteristic ofbeing resilient. I have `found that a laminated wood, such as plywood may readily be employed as it has the characteristics I desire the sectors to impart and is inexpensive and readily obtainable onl the open market. Y, 'A flor `thepurposes of 'illustration I have shown a laminated wood construction in the drawing,

Figs. 4 and 5.

lAs vshown in Fig. 1 the panel or sector 9 is seated in groove 5 of the front framev member I; the sector I'il is seated in the groove 'I of the side frame 1nember3; the sector I I is seated in the groove 6 of therear kfram-e member 2; and the sector `I is Vseated in groove 8 of the side frame member il. The sectors are securely anchored in thegrooves by employing any suitable means such as screws I3. f'

. It jis `to ,be understood that I do not intend to limit my invention by illustrating screws I3 as a means of anchoring the lsectors to the frame, as pegs, dowels, nails or the like may also be readily used. The 4sectors Amay also be glued therein if `it is so desired. In Fig. 4 -I have shown thesector fastened inplace by screws I3 and glue I9..

As'will lbe apparentfrom Figs. 4 and Y5, the sec'- tors 9, I 0, I I, and I2 will all extend diagonally upwardly and inwardly from the frame members I, 2, 3 and 4 respectively because of the diagonally extending grooves or channels 5, 6, I and 8 respectively. The apexes of the` sectors, therefore, will extend higher than the plane of the upper faces of the frame members I, 2, 3 and 4. The sectors 9, IB, II and I2 will also converge generally toward each other hence the apexes of the sectors are substantially in the center of seat frame.

The sectors 9, IIJ, II and I2 are so pre-formed,

a definite X-slot I4 is formed in the seat so'aai'` to allow for ready movement of the sectors inA away portions 24 and I25 in the sector panels 2| and 22 respectively. The panels 2I and 22 are now additionally supported by the strip 20.

When downward pressures are exerted on the sector panels 9, I0, 2l and 22 the unsecured ends of the strips I5 and 20 will slidably shift in their respective seats and all of the sectors and the two supporting strips will generally yield in a downwardly direction.

Although I have illustrated and described my invention as being ,fpreferably constructed en- .tirely out of wood it is not my intention to limit that when they are assembled in the seat frame"y vthe invention to such material since plastics and metals (when readily obtainable) may be suba, vertical plane when downward pressures are exerted thereon. This slotting arrangement also prevents the sectors from touching, scraping or overlapping adjacent sectors. tor may be termed a cantilever spring.

In order to prevent collapsing of the panels or .sectors 9, Ill, II and I2 when downward pressures yare exerted thereon, I have provided a wooden supporting strip I5 of thesame material and having the same general characteristics as h the panelsor sectors 9, I0, Il and I2. 'Ihe strip I5 is of narrow width andis positioned below the panels ork sectors medially of the side frame members 3 and 4 and extending between the front and rear frame members I` and 2. The sectors 9 and Il are each cut away as indicated by the numerals I5 and I1 respectively so 'as to accommodate for the ready insertion of the ends of the supporting strip I5 in the grooves 5 and 6 respectively. One end of the supporting strip I5 is securely anchored in the channel or groove 6 in any suitable manner such as vby a screw I8.

enough downward -pressure to cause the unsecured -end of the strip I5 to be unseated from the groove 5. It is to be especially noted that the strip is designed to lie directly under the apexes of the sectors so as to support the tips of the sector lpanels I0 and I2 and the entire sector panels 9 and II when downward pressures are exerted on them. u

The seat isnow in condition to be covered in the usual manner. v y

`It will now be apparent that metal springs, spring seat bars, webbings and cordings may now be eliminated from spring seat structures and the` simple construction shown and illustrated herein substituted therefor.

Since furniture seats are constructed of various sizes I have found it advisable to use a second supporting strip on seats having large frames, hence I have shown a modified form of construction in Fig. 6. The construction shown in Fig. 6 is identical to the construction shown in Fig. 1 except I have provided a second supporting strip 2U extending between the side frames 3 and 4 and below the sector panels 9, I0, 2| and 22 and supporting strip I1. The outer ends of the strip are seated in the grooves 1 and 8 respectively and the end seated ,in kthe groove or channel 8 is securely anchored therein, by any suitable means such as by a screw 23. VIn order to accommodate for the insertion of the ends of the supporting strip 2D into the grooves or channels 'I and 8 I have provided cutstituted therefor.

u It is to be understood that details of the construction shown and illustrated may be modified or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as dened -by the following claims:

1. A seat structure comprising a four-sided wooden frame, having a deep relatively narrow groove formed in the inner face of all the sides of said frame and extending diagonally downwardly and rearwardly, a plurality of triangularly shaped sectors of laminated wood, the bases of whichL are seated in the grooves of said frame and secured therein, the-remaining sides of each ofsaid sectors being spaced apart and converging generally toward each other, and a narrow supporting strip'of wood seated in the groove of said frame and'extending medially from the front of said frame to the rear thereof and below said sectors, one end only of said strip being anchored in the groove of said frame, whereby upon downward pressure being exerted on said sectors the apexes of each will bear against said strip and said strip and sectors will yield generally in a downwardly direction as a unit.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein a second supporting strip is disposed beneath said rst mentioned supporting strip and at right angles thereto, and said second supporting strip being seated in the groove of and spanning said side frame members.

3. A seat structure comprising a wooden frame having front, rear and side frame pieces, said frame pieces each having a deep groove in the inner face thereof and extending diagonally downwardly andrearwardly, the grooves in each ofsaid frame pieces forming a single continuous groove around the inner faces of said frame, a plurality of triangularly shaped sectors of laminated wood, the'bases of which are seated in the vgroove of said frame and secured therein, the remaining sides of .each of said sectors being spaced apart and converging generally toward each other, and a semiexible supporting strip of wood seated in the groove of said frame and extending medially from the front of said frame to the rear thereof and below said sectors, one end only of said strip being anchored to said frame.

4. The device as defined by claim 3 wherein a second semiflexible supporting strip is disposed below said sectors and seated in the grooves of the side frame pieces and extending at right angles to said rst mentioned supporting strip, only one end of said second strip being anchored to said frame.

5. A seat structure comprising a wooden frame having front, rear and side frame members, said members each having a deep, relatively narrow groove formed in vthe face'of the inner side thereof and extending diagonally downwardly and rearwardly, the grooves in each of said members forming a continuous channel around the inner side walls of said frame, a plurality of triangularly shaped sectors of laminated wood, the bases of which are seated in the channel of said frame and securely anchored therein, said sectors each having an elongated cutaway portion in their bases, the remaining sides of each of said sectors being spaced apart and converging generally toward each other, and a narrow supporting strip 10 of wood both ends of which are seated in the channel of said frame, said strip extending medially from the front frame member to the rear frame member and below said sectors, one end only of said strip being securely anchored to said frame, whereby upon downward pressure being exerted on said sectors the apexes of each will bear against said strip and said strip and sectors will yield generally in a downwardly direction as a unit.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5 wherein a second wooden supporting strip is disposed beneath said first mentioned supporting strip and at right angles thereto, and said second supporting strip being seated in the channel of and spanning said side frame members, and having one end only secured to said frame.

MICHAEL L. KESNER. 

